1977 D100 Alignment Problems

Last summer I rebuilt the front end on my 2wd 1/2 ton pickup. I replaced upper and lower balljoints, control arm bushings, tie rods, idler and pitman arms, strut rod bushings and steering box. I took it to the local tire shop and had it aligned. When I picked it up and headed home with it, it drove worse than when I drove it in there. The manager said they probably aligned it to the specs for bias tires and he had them re-adjust it. It is better but it's not right. It wanders back and forth something terrible. I won't drive it down the freeway cuz it's that bad. Any suggestions? Anyone have this problem and have alignment specs that work? I love my old truck and it gets a lot of use but, I'm afraid to drive it, especially in the rain. Thanks.

I've had terrible experiences with tire shops doing front end alignments over the years. After having my 65' Pontiac aligned by a local tire shop, it wandered all over the place and followed every little groove. None of theose guys knew what they were doing. I took it back and asked them to max out the caster. They put it at the max of the specs but would not go and further, said they are not allowed to go beyond the specs. It helped a little but still sucked...much like how you describe your truck. When I had to take my Bee in for an alignment, prior to go to a track day, I looked around for a front end specialty shop instead. I found an old alignment shop here in Reno called Sunshine Automotive. They had great reviews and after talking with them, I quickly realized they knew what they were doing. I talked about wanting more caster for my wide radial tires and they mentioned where my alignment should be for my application and going on a road course. They recommended going outside of the factory specs and they were spot on. My Bee drives great and honestly handles the track nicely. I need to take the Pontiac in to them to get it realigned. So, long story short, stay away from tire shops and find a specialty shop to do your alignment.

Good luck - Mike

Post the readings it was set to. Bias to radial never heard of setting them different.

You may want to look to be sure the frame on your 77 D100 is not cracked around where the steering box mounts to the frame. This is a pretty common occurrence and often shows up as a wondering truck. Its not hard to fix, and Dodge did offer a brace on the later model trucks. Gene

Yes, I checked before I replaced the steering box. I had a 79 1/2 ton that had to be welded years ago. I saw no indication that anything was cracked or loose. I just think these guys didn't have a clue what to do when the specs they used didn't work..
It wanders back and forth and gets squirrelly when it encounters ruts in the road. In fact, it drove better before redoing the front end.

Not sure if I still have the spec sheet from when they aligned it. If I can find it I will post the specs.

Could be tires need replacing due to slipped/broken belts. I had an 82 that handled exactly like you describe. I changed the tires and that resolved the issue. It drove like a new truck after that. Tires looked fine, the only reason I replaced them was I came across a deal too good to pass up.

Finding an old timer that know how to align old stuff can be a tough trick. The control arm adjustment bolts can often be a challenge to the less experienced. The teeth in the washers tend to dig in and want to slip back to where they spent the last few decades while being tightened. I always start with trying to take some slop out of the steering gear and just recently I tried the Borgensen replacement shaft. The last bit replaces the steering coupler and tightens things up a lot more than I expected it would.

Having the print out is key. Otherwise this is nothing but a guessing game. There are no special specs to point it down the road. I would inspect it completely for broken, cracked, loose and moving parts. Then if ok get it realigned and keep the print out. Alignments are not rocket science. Not knowing the book specs I would set it at +.5 camber. + 3.0 caster. 1/8 on the toe in. Sometimes the caster may not be achievable so just get them as high as possible and even. Get this done and let us know how it works.

make sure your center link is not on backwards, will make it drive like chit.

The tires are new. I replaced the rag joint coupler when I replaced the steering gearbox. After replacing all the components, it drove better on the way to the alignment shop than it has since. lol Maybe I should have left it alone.

Who rebuilt the box?

Did someone set the lash too tight or loose?

It's a Cardone box.

Did you remove or replace the center link?

The center link can easily be installed "upside down" and fit, and look correct. I had a friend who had the same issue on his 76 after doing a front end and suspension rebuild.
The alignment tech missed it the 4 times he was in to get the truck to drive right, it wasn't until the shop owner (an older gentleman with years of service work under his belt) went out to see what was going on. He immediately spotted the incorrectly installed center link, and after a quick flip and alignment the truck drove perfect.